Sports Minister M S Gill praised the fighting spirit of the Indian hockey players and said they should not feel "disheartened" for their 1-2 defeat in the final of the Punjab Gold Cup against the Netherlands on Monday.

India conceded a penalty corner in the dying minutes of the match which the European Champions converted to clinch the title in Chandigarh.

"Our boys lost narrowly but they fought very well. They should not feel disheartened. There will be other times when we will prevail," Gill told PTI.